Stormy Spirit
by SongOfTheBirds
Summary: When Silver was killed, she wasn't expecting to come back to life. She wasn't expecting to brefriend a certain winter spirit, or become the spirit of storms and winds, or be a Guardian. But why is she a Guardian when the children don't need protecting?


**Author's Note: If you have read this story before, you will notice that this first chapter is completely and utterly different. Here is my reasoning:**

**I hated the original first chapter. It didn't flow into the second chapter like I would've liked, and I couldn't make myself feel comfortable mashing them together. So, this is my second attempt.**

**Please review! As much as I love reads, follows, and favorites, reviews are sustenance!**

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_"It's okay, Jen," the girl cooed soothingly, "We're going to be okay."_

_She gave her younger sister an encouraging smile, despite the danger that stalked them. Jen whimpered with fear, her voice coming out cracked. "But Silver-"_

_"It's _okay_, Jenny. Just...trust me, all right? Nothing's going to hurt you. You just have to _trust me._"_

**(Line break)**

The moon shone brightly on the rain-drenched forest, beams of light searching out the still form that lay tangled in tree roots and vines. Finally one little moonbeam alit on its quarry. Blackness fled from the girl's hair, leaving it a dark storm-like grey. Lighter grey and vivid blue streaks wound their way into the curls. Then the girl's eyes snapped open.

Silver - for that was the girl's name - shot upright, her breaths coming in short concentrated gasps. The moonbeam curled around the girl's neck. It whispered soft, comforting words. Slowly Silver calmed.

"Hello, dear," she said softly. "Who are you?"

_My girl, your beam, _the moonbeam replied.

"Okay. Who am I?"

_My girl._

"I know that. What's my name?"

_"You are Silver Tempest."_ A new voice answered. _"Silver Tempest, Spirit of Storms and Shepherd of the Winds."_

"I am?" Silver asked.

_Yes, Storm Girl, my girl._ The moonbeam replied soothingly.

"Okay. Can I name you, then, or do you have a name?"

_No name, Storm Girl, no name._

"Then I'll call you Rain, and you'll be my Moonbeam like I'm your Storm Girl." Silver got to her feet, her hands knocking against two wooden walking sticks. Unconsciously her hands wrapped around the staffs near their tops. A shudder of power twirled through the staffs, ending with a crackle of lightning and thunder. Silver dropped them quickly. She looked down at her own hands, pale and rough in the glittering moonlight.

_Try again, my girl, again,_ Rain encouraged. Silver nodded and closed her eyes. The same power surged down her arms, and a miniature storm swirled into existence above her open hands. Giddy, Silver let out a squeal of excitement. She threw the storm up and watched. It grew into the size of a normal storm, spitting rain. Chain lightning made the dark grey clouds flicker.

_Good, my girl, Storm Girl! Good!_ Rain giggled in her girl's ear. Silver giggled in response, reaching down to scoop up the staffs again. As soon as she did she was swept into the sky.

"Whoa! Rain, what's this?" Silver asked.

_Winds! _Rain answered. New voices drowned out what she was going to say next.

**Storm girl! Fly with me, Storm Girl!** One insisted.

"All right! But which one are you?"

**West Flight, Storm Girl! My girl, my moonbeam, West Flight!**

"But West, how am I-" Silver was dropped before she could finish her question. Spinning in midair, the girl acted purely on instinct. She flung her arms out and kept her legs straight behind her. In no time, West had curled beneath Silver.

**Sorry, Storm Girl! Very sorry!**

"It's no problem! I guess we both need a little time to learn." Silver laughed.

_Good girl, my girl. _Rain whispered. She curled around Silver's neck, loosening the pendant that had been hidden in the girl's shirt. Silver looked down at it with a look of surprise.

"Is that...mine?"

_Rest there, I will._

"Okay." Silver watched as Rain seeped into the blue stone of the pendant. The necklace took on an ethereal glow, then Rain spoke. _My home, my girl._

Silver grinned. West tossed the girl, and she spun in midair. Yes, she was a tempest!

**(350 years later)**

**~Burgess~**

Silver glided above the town, trying not to notice all the people. They could be _seen, touched, heard._ They could _hug, love, chat._ They were **_real._ **Unconsciously the girl created a storm, her hands moving of their own accord. Clouds seeped out of her palms and through the fingerless gloves.

_Danger, my girl, go home,_ Rain's voice, muffled by her home in the pendant, cut through Silver's thoughts.

"Danger? What kind of danger?"

_Evil, evil danger. Go home, meet destiny, home!_

"All right, Rain! I'm going home." Silver set her fingers to her mouth and whistled out a three-note tune.

**Home now, Storm Girl? **West Wind asked.

"Yeah. Rain senses danger."

**Home now!** With an extravagant swirl, West swept Silver into the high layers of the sky that few spirits could go. Giddy shouts could be heard as the three twirled their way back to Silver's home.

**~Santoff Claussen~**

The Guardians were gathering for their annual meeting. Well, most of them. Jack was somewhere in the Arctic, treating it to a blizzard. Or so they thought.

With a whoop and a gust of wind, Jack entered the Globe Room. The others looked up with surprise on their faces.

"Jack!" Tooth choked out. "We thought you were busy."

"Nope. One of the weather sprites took over so I'd be free. So...why'd you call the meeting?" Jack landed on top of the globe, looking down at North.

"I didn't. Manny did." North answered. As he spoke, the moon came into view. A single shaft of moonlight glowed so bright, the Guardians had to close their eyes. When they could see again a large blue stone had risen from the floor.

"A new Guardian?" Jack asked.

"Please not the Groundhog," Bunny muttered. There was no answer to his plea for several seconds. Then, slowly, the silhouette of a girl swirled into existence above the stone.

A hood, connected to a knee-length cloak, covered most of the girl's face save for her cocky smirk. The tail end of a long braid fell over her shoulder and onto her loose shirt overlayer. A camisole peeked out of the top of the shirt, and fell to the mid-thigh of the girl's ragged pants. Her bare toes barely peeked out from under the hem of the pants. Her hands, encased in gloves without fingers, were wrapped around twin walking staffs. She looked very familiar. In fact, she looked a lot like...

_"Silver Tempest?"_


End file.
